Building Excellence Awards || EEBA Summit 2026

#EEBASUMMIT2026

EEBA and DOE ENH are teaming up to host the 2026 EEBA Building Excellence and DENH Awards.

Do you have a project that is under construction or recently built that brings high-performance housing to new heights? Submit it for a chance to receive a 2026 EEBA Building Excellence or DENH Award.

Award recipients will each present a 2-minute project overview on stage at the High Performance Home Builder Summit in Saint Paul, MN on September 17th — live to the builders, architects, designers, manufacturers, and energy raters who make up the industry.

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Submit Project

Project *

Company/Organization *

I am an EEBA Member

Rating Company

Contact

Contact Person *

Phone *

Email *

Award(s) *

Select the Award(s) you wish to nominate for:

Excellence Award - Decarbonization

Excellence Award - Electrification

Excellence Award - Healthier Homes

Excellence Award - Resiliency

ZERH Award - Attached & Affordable

ZERH Award - Custom (over 2,500 SF)

ZERH Award - Custom (under 2,500 SF)

ZERH Award - Production

Please note: Nomination fees are $600/award or $250/award for EEBA Members
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Project Details

Description * Describe in 500 words why your project was innovative in its respective category(s).

Website

Location of Project/Home

Country

Address

City *

Province/State *

Zip

Home Specifications

Home Type *

Climate Zone *

Local Code Equivalent *

Orientation *

Conditioned Area *

ft²

Completion Date *

Bedrooms *

Bathrooms *

Floors Above Grade *

Performance Data

Note: with PV, the total utility costs + energy cost savings should be approximately the same as the total without PV utility costs + cost savings

HERS/ERI Index ¹ *

(Without PV)

Annual Energy Cost ($) *

(Without PV)

Annual Energy Cost Savings ($) ² *

(Without PV)

Annual Energy Savings ³ *

kWh

(Without PV)

kWh

Incremental Costs ($) ⁴ *

(Without PV)

Check DOE ZERH Verification report or other ratings.
Projected based on HERS software analysis; check DOE ZERH verification report or other ratings.
Estimate the incremental costs to achieve ZERH certification over the builder's cost to build the same home to code. Don't include incentives. Don't include the cost of cosmetic upgrades or efficiency upgrades beyond what is needed to achieve ZERH certification.
To protect privacy, please avoid using the homeowner's name as the project name.

Performance (5 points)

Above Grade Walls

Did you use advanced framing techniques? *

24 inches On Center Stud Spacing	Ladder Blocking at Interior Wall Intersections
Single Top Plates	Conventional Framing Only
3-Stud Insulated Corner	Not Applicable (CMU, AAC, SIPs)
2-Stud Corner with Drywall Clips	Other (Explain)
Open/Insulated Headers

What is the total R-value of this home's above-grade walls? *

Wall Construction Layers *

Please add any other details it would be helpful to know about above-grade walls Optional

Roof

Roof Construction *

Truss

Rafter

SIPs

Other (Explain)

Roof Design *

Flat Roof

Gabled Roof

Hip Roof

Shed roof

Other (Explain)

Roof Cladding Type *

Asphalt, composite, rubber, or architectural shingles

Cement tile

Metal

TPO (for fl at roofs)

Other (Explain)

Please describe the roof construction layers from the interior to the exterior: *

Please add any other details it would be helpful to know about the roof Optional

Attic

Is this home's attic vented or unvented? *

Vented Attic

Vented Above Roof Deck

Unvented (Hot Roof)

Unvented, Vaulted Ceilings

Other (Explain)

Attic Insulation
*At least one type required.

Insulation Type	R-Value	Inches Installed	Location
Please select an Attic Insulation Type	Please enter the Attic R-Value

Did you use raised heel energy trusses? *

Yes

Please describe any other details about the attic below

Foundation & Below-Grade Walls

Which best describes this home's type of foundation? *

Insulated Basement

Uninsulated Basement

Vented Crawlspace

Unvented Crawlspace

Pier Foundation

Slab on grade

Other (Explain)

Which best describes this home's below-grade walls?

Poured concrete

ICF

CMU

Pre-cast concrete (Superior Walls?)

Other (Explain)

Basement or Crawlspace *

Please add any other details it would be helpful to know about the foundation and below-grade walls Optional

Floors Over Unconditioned Space

What best describes your insulation approach in floors over unconditioned space? *

Batt insulation

Blown-in Insulation

Closed-cell spray foam

Open cell spray foam

Rigid foam insulation

SIPS

Not Applicable

Other (Explain)

Describe your floor over unconditioned space assembly from inside (conditioned space) to outside (unconditioned space) identifying all applicable layers * Enter N/A if assembly is not applicable

Please add any other details it would be helpful to know about floors over unconditioned space Optional

Windows

How many layers of glass do most windows in this home have? *

What is the U-value(s) of the windows? *

What is the Solar Heat Gain Coefficient(s) (SHGC) of the windows? *

Were any shading devices or dynamic glazing included?

Fixed awnings	No shading
Interior motorized blinds	Dynamic Glazing
Exterior motorized blinds	Other (Explain)
Within-window louvers

Please add any other details it would be helpful to know about the windows Optional

Air Sealing

Record the result of the whole-house blower door air leakage test in airchanges per hour at 50 Pascals pressure differential (ACH50) *

Please describe air sealing strategies for all building envelope components.

Ventilation

What type of ventilation system does this home have? *

Exhaust-only

HRV

ERV

Controlled central fan with fresh air intake and timered exhaust (Balanced)

Fresh air intake with exhaust fans not timered to fresh air (Unbalanced)

Supply Only

Other (Explain)

Is the ventilation system integrated with the central HVAC system or distributed? *

Describe any additional sensors or controls (ex. timers, humidity sensors, pollutant sensors)

Provide any additional relevant details

Hot Water

How many gallons of water does the water heater hold? * Please enter 0 if the system is tankless or instantaneous

What is the efficiency of the unit? * Please record units in AFUE, EF, UEF, or COP

How is hot water distributed? *

Adaptive recirculation

Core plumbing design

Demand recirculation

Manifold systems

Other (Explain)

Please describe the water heating system in detail. Topics to include: type, efficiency, location

HVAC

Please include details of the HVAC, air conditioning unit, duct design, and anypassive solar design for the home

Solar and Battery

How many kilowatts (KW) of solar photovoltaics were installed on this home? * Enter 0 if no solar was installed.

Does this home have battery storage? *

Yes (please record KW capacity below)

Please record details about PV and battery. Type N/A if none.

Bonus Options

1 Point Bonus: Home owner (or occupant) Testimony

Has the house been occupied? If so, provide any testimony or quotes from the home owner or occupant about their experience living in a Zero Energy Ready Home. Testimony of occupant experience as it relates to performance (e.g. comfort, health, durability, efficiency) of the home is especially helpful. Feedback on how the home is actually performing, or quotes from occupants can earn you bonus points.

1 Point Bonus: Home Owner Video or Audio Testimonial

A quote from an occupant is informative, but hearing from that occupant directly can be a powerful marketing message. Links to home owner testimonial videos or audio testimonials can earn you bonus points. Please include the YouTube or Vimeo links here.

1 Point Bonus: Actual Utility Bills (or monitored performance data)

If the home is occupied, please ask the home owner for utility bills. If you or another organization are monitoring the home's energy use, please provide energy usage data.

Multiple files may be selected, PDFs Only

1 Point Bonus: Provide a Matterport or other virtual tour URL of your home

DOE ZERH Verification and/or Certificate Form

TIP: Your third-party verifier (e.g., registered HERS rater) will provide you with both documents printed in HERS software.

Multiple files may be selected, PDFs Only

Floor Plans

TIP: Please send simple floor plans outlining the main spaces of the house. Blueprints and construction specifications are not accepted. The floor plans will beused in the Tour of Zero and should be easy for a homebuyer to understand.

Multiple files may be selected, PDFs or Images Only

Marketing Materials

Multiple files may be selected, PDFs or Images Only

Other Attachments

Multiple files may be selected, PDFs or Images Only

Photographs (at least 10)

A minimum of 1 high resolution front elevation photograph (2400-4800ppi).
A minimum of 10 photographs (15 Mb max each) including.
A minimum of 3 photographs showing finished exterior elevations.
A minimum of 3 photographs showing finished interiors.
A minimum of 3 photographs of the home under construction with significant energy-efficiency details.
Other relevant photographs.

TIP: Good photographs from each of these categories will increase your chances of winning. The photographs will be used for Tour of Zero profiles.

Front Elevation

This will be a high resolution photo used to feature your project (2400-4800ppi).

Select One Photo, JPGs Only

Finished Elevations

Select at least 3 Photos, JPGs Only

Finished Interiors

Select at least 3 Photos, JPGs Only

Home Under Construction with Significant Energy-Efficiency Details

Select at least 3 Photos, JPGs Only

Other Photos

Multiple files may be selected, JPGs Only

EEBA ZERH Agreement

I understand that the photographs, materials and information I provide may be used by May be used by EEBA and its affiliated partners, and its contractors for promotion of the Zero Energy Ready Home.

Payment

Payment will not be processed nor saved until final submission of the project.

Amount Due
$0

Billing Address

Enter address exactly as it appears on your billing statement

Country

Address

City

State/Province

Zip Code

Payment Details

First Name on Card

Last Name on Card

Credit Card Type

Credit Card Number

Expiration Date

Security Code

Save Draft Submit Project

Amount Due $0

2x4, 16 inches o.c.	Insulated Concrete Foam (ICF)
2x4, 24 inches o.c.	Concrete Masonry Unit (CMU)
2x6, 16 inches o.c.	Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (AAC)
2x6, 24 inches o.c.	Concrete Panels
Double Wall	Post and Beam
Staggered Stud	Panelized or Modular
SIPs	Other (Explain)